840.6362/5–2347: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
2915. Salco 498. In conversation with Massigli, the French Ambassador, today he expressed the view that the action of ECO in regard to British application for allocation of coal was a fair and equitable one. As nearly as I can tell from conversation with Foreign Office the British are slightly disappointed that a different formula was not used which would have enabled them to obtain more coal with greater certainty. They are, however, on the whole satisfied with the outcome principally because it provides ECO as an effective instrumentality on the one hand and depending upon the availability of [Page 514] US coal provides substantial satisfaction of their requirements on the other.